I sprained my ankle a week ago, I can put weight on it now, but not enough to walk. When I try I get a pain which feels like severe "pins & needles"....normal? Or have I done something worse than a sprain?

Healing vibes.

This is where you need to go see a doctor. No one on the interwebz can diagnose you. Remember, this is the recovery thread.. what you're doing to recover

pins and needles

My guess on the sprain ankle with "pins and needles" is that you are pinching a nerve. I sprained my ankle bad several years ago and the swelling can push things around in that tight arrangement in your ankle. I had once of the ligaments get pinched and click once I was recovering. My guess is that you still have some swelling holding a nerve somewhere that it can get in between and get crunched. I think once the swelling goes done your body will let things fall back into the spaces and the nerve will be fine. If you are done with the swelling phase and you still have the tingles then you need to talk to the doc.

As an update I'm practically 100% now. Back in dress shoes at work for this last week and riding any trails I see fit.

About the only remaining system is full weight bearing is iffy but only on one leg AND if I have the foot flexed...and that has become significantly better AFTER I stopped PT (8 visits of mainly balancing exercises which IMO made me more sore).

Originally Posted by ArmySlowRdr

6th week since fracture. I am in soft shoes now. Swelling is gone. I am riding the stationary up to two hours at a time.

Still some pain when walking and I cant do a calf raise too good.

I am supposed to go to phys therapy on the 7th. Guess I'll go and let them evaluate, but I am probably way Way WAY better at this point that most they see.

I think I was very fortunate and give thanks the recovery went well.

Likely this injury happened to prevent something else that lie in wait for me.

In terms of recovery - I have worked super hard to get better after knocking out teeth and giving myself concussion and severe whiplash from my neck to my bum when I came off my bike and it spun back into my face!

I had physio twice a week, then once a week, then once a fortnight, now maybe once every six weeks. I got back into swimming first, then back on my bike, yoga and football in quick succession. I'm only playing football sporadically (I had a mouthguard specially made to protect my implants - dentist says if the top break - they're just white filling - then they can fix that, implants are harder to sort). Yoga is really helping with flexibility, and swimming has been the mainstay of my recovery - to the point where I'm going on a swimming holiday in 2 weeks time, I'll be doing two 2.5km swims a day for a week!

That's how I'm doing it - fitness has been so important, more important to me than before, because I can only maintain my recovery and avoid back problems if I stay active.

Broken leg.. mental recovery?

Broke my leg in a DH race about 5 weeks ago... spiral fractures in the side and back of tibia, the side of fibula, and snapped both sides off of the talus in my ankle. 8 hole plate, 10 hole plate, and 20 screws. First pro race, not too stoked on riding now. Still a couple more weeks to go before allowed to start putting any weight on my leg. How to mentally recover? I don't even want to think about riding a bike and possibly doing something like this again. Ugggg.

Still a couple more weeks to go before allowed to start putting any weight on my leg. How to mentally recover? I don't even want to think about riding a bike and possibly doing something like this again. Ugggg.

Mentally recover and ride again, or mentally deal with the injury? I only have my limited experience, but I tore all 3 hamstring tendons off the bone racing the Windham World Cup (XC, not DH) 7 weeks ago. I have no doubt it'll slow me up a bit on descending (I have a LONG way to go before I can walk after having repair surgery, but I know I will ride again, and will be slow uphill and down) with the fear, but I want to ride again absolutely. Mine was a bit more of a freak injury (hamstring repair surgery is fairly rare to begin with, and nearly unheard of for cyclists - typically waterskiing, skiing, roller skating, etc.), but yeah, accidents happen.

My biggest hurdle was just depression. I hope I've turned a corner on that bit

How to mentally recover? I don't even want to think about riding a bike and possibly doing something like this again. Ugggg.

Baby steps and time off. Back in my 20's I had a wonky fall off a ladder bridge and landed on my head, killed my helmet, got a nice concussion and darn near broke my neck. That was late summer or early fall, needless to say I was done for the year.

It was also my most serious crash and one of the most senseless ones, it was an obstacle which I'd ridden at least a hundred times without any issues and it came this close to breaking my neck and leaving me either dead or paralyzed for life. I had a lot (actually way too much) time to think about it and wonder if it was worth it to continue risking my neck and keep riding or if it was time to hang it up and move on to a safer sport.

By the end of the next spring I decided that I'd spent enough time sulking and got back on my bike, didn't go off road all that much for a couple months and when I did it was on the beginner trails. And that's the way it was for the rest of that year, though I did start getting off road more as time went on. After that the mountain bike rides became more frequent and harder, and a couple years after the accident I was firmly committed to regaining all my skills so I could get back to riding the way I used to. As I gradually started riding more I slowly came to realize that I do love mountain biking enough to live with the risks, it wasn't an "a-ha!" moment, it just kinda snuck up on me after many months. That's how it worked for me anyway, it just kinda happened after a long while.

In short, on my ass for weeks at a time, weakened by surgeries, radiation and infection, losing fitness and strength, gaining weight. Frustration beyond belief

Recovery plan: road bike ~25 miles every other day, TRX for strenght and muscle tone

Today was my first day back on mtb !! Took my 1X9 to local park known for good single track but not too technical I felt OK, but dabbed and had to walk on a couple of climbs I normally clean. But after 4 months off the trails, it was heaven!

At this point, I'm running about 65% I'm no spring chicken, so full recovery could take a LONG time

Old enough to know better. And old enough not to care. Best age to be.

Woof.

It was Tuesday and I was about 2-3 miles away from home after nearly completing my almost two hour, 22 mile ride across mostly sidewalks. I'm afearda real trails.

I see him. He's in the right turn lane ahead of me, his head craned towards his left. He doesn't look my way once.

The light is green. The pedestrian crossing signal is up. The driver still doesn't look my way. Usually, in these moments when I see a driver not looking my way, I check how much oncoming traffic there is to make sure that before I pass in front of him, there is traffic that is blocking his way. And I thought the car coming would be my window. I was wrong.

The oncoming car was in the leftmost lane. When I drive, I almost always wait until both lanes are clear, just in case oncoming traffic changes lanes in the intersection, but this guy floored it into my window for the right lane. Into me. I couldn't stop or go faster. All I could do was brace myself for a hit as it started to move. I still see the front grill of the car bearing down on me sometimes.

Dramatics aside, my injuries were painful but not that bad. I got up on my feet immediately. I was knocked into the right lane. I picked my water bottle up. My right brake lever had snapped off and I picked it up. It was disorienting walking my bike to the corner I had already ridden past. The man who hit me asked if I was alright when I notice a nasty soreness in my knees. After a moment, I ask him if he can give me a ride home. His car was one of those boxy van-like deals that could fold its rear seats away for cargo like a bicycle.

After we arrive at my place, I tell him about the brake lever and ask him to pay for it and he gives me his name and phone number before leaving. What seemed like more stairs than usual magnified my new pain on the way to my front door while lugging my 36 pounds of bike, minus whatever the broken brake lever weighed, which I probably left in the guy's car.

After peeling off my sweaty workout pants, my right knee has a slightly bloody scrape and my left knee is swollen with three fresh stretch marks. Instead of taking it easy, I hobbled around my apartment and removed the broken brake lever.

I have since seen a doctor and my paranoid WebMD fears of an ACL or PCL tear were dismissed. Severe bruising only, it seems. The swelling in the left knee has gone down and walking gets easier every day. It's still quite stiff and uncomfortable when I try to bend it far enough and I'm worried about how long it will take for that to go away. I'm out at least one more week.

Further inspection shows that my front wheel is a little bent. It spins freely, can be mounted and unmounted easily and the brake rotor fits where it's supposed to fit. It just looks wobbly. In the attached image, you can see a slight curving.

I don't know if it's safe to ride on or if it would affect my performance or anything and I'm not sure testing it immediately after recovery is a good idea. The only way out of here is some steep downhill drops. Anyone know? The bike lever only cost $16 and change and of the wheels I've looked at, the one I would replace it with is $225. I want it, but I don't know if I need it or if Mr. VoluntararyBlindSpot would even still pay for it. Help.

Spinal Fusion

Spinal fusion!
I'm a 54 y/o male who had a spinal fusion (PLIF) at L4-S1 in October 2012 for spondylolithesis . I've been mountain biking for 22 years, and off-road motorcycling since I was 9 y/o. I'm looking for a spine surgeon on this forum who might be able to shed some light on my 2-wheel future!
My surgeon doesn't want me to mountain bike or motorcycle anymore.... period! He thinks road biking would be ok, but who would want to do that? I currently own a Santa Cruz Blur Carbon 26" FS. It seems to me that a full suspension bike would be easier on the spine (adjacent levels!), than any road bike; any thoughts?
Also, I was wondering if going to a 29er might also provide some added dampening to allow me to ride some "easier" trails? I certainly don't want to be a rebel and ignore the advice of my surgeon (he's also one if my best friends), but he's not a biker and probably doesn't fully understand the mechanics and physics of mountain biking.
Obviously, I'm trying to convince myself it's okay to do some mild riding, but if anyone has any educated advice, or better yet, empirical evidence on this matter, I would certainly appreciate it!
Sincerely,
W84DIRT

Spinal fusion!
I'm a 54 y/o male who had a spinal fusion (PLIF) at L4-S1 in October 2012 for spondylolithesis . I've been mountain biking for 22 years, and off-road motorcycling since I was 9 y/o. I'm looking for a spine surgeon on this forum who might be able to shed some light on my 2-wheel future!
My surgeon doesn't want me to mountain bike or motorcycle anymore.... period! He thinks road biking would be ok, but who would want to do that? I currently own a Santa Cruz Blur Carbon 26" FS. It seems to me that a full suspension bike would be easier on the spine (adjacent levels!), than any road bike; any thoughts?
Also, I was wondering if going to a 29er might also provide some added dampening to allow me to ride some "easier" trails? I certainly don't want to be a rebel and ignore the advice of my surgeon (he's also one if my best friends), but he's not a biker and probably doesn't fully understand the mechanics and physics of mountain biking.
Obviously, I'm trying to convince myself it's okay to do some mild riding, but if anyone has any educated advice, or better yet, empirical evidence on this matter, I would certainly appreciate it!
Sincerely,
W84DIRT

Well, I know I'm late in my reply, but.. First, I personally think a road bike is the most dangerous bike you can own. People are weird about them on the road. They do stuff thinking they're being nice, and put you in harms way, or they're just ***** and do stuff to try and hurt you. Now, I ride a road bike, and I accept the risk that goes along with it. Before I got hit by a deer, I thought rider judgment was the only thing that could really take you out mtbing. In general,I still think that's the case.

Second, if he's a friend, he needs to understand you,who you are, and what makes your life complete. If there is a higher risk with you riding, then he needs to clearly explain that to you and let you make the decision to accept the risk or not. If you decide to ride trails and not huck off 10ft drops, then you're probably good. It's a conversation you should have with him.

Third, there may be experts on here, there may be doctors, but they're not treating you. You have a surgeon that has first hand knowledge of what was done to you, he's in the best situation to advise you. My doctors not a biker either,but, he is educated enough to know that people get hurt doing something they love, he wants to get them doing that as soon as reasonably possible. Just ask lots of questions,make your decision then. Good luck!

I'm sure it's a repeat topic in general but I'm going to be looking to get back in the saddle next Spring and I'm curious what tips people can provide for overcoming the fear of riding - especially after a 'dumb twist of fate' injury.

I feel as if I had mangled myself while *doing something risky* it would be easier to get back to riding and just slowly creep up on scary stuff. But I got hurt during just totally normal simple 'safe' riding and just the thought of getting back on a bike is already terrifying to me - since suddenly every single patch of dirt seems like it could throw me again.

It's still a long ways off, but now that I'm definitely on the road to being able to get out there again, I want to start trying to think my way towards riding.

The Recovery Thread - What do you do?

That's a tough one. The mental issue is way harder to recover from than the physical. In my opinion, the first thing that needs to happen is getting back on the bike.
Find a trail you're super comfortable on. Even though it wasn't a "risky" injury, rebuilding your confidence is key. When I broke my collar born on a no-sweat trail a couple of years ago, it really messed with my head. It's just vital to rebuild the fun and joy of being on the bike.
Good luck, and keep your chin up!

I'm sure it's a repeat topic in general but I'm going to be looking to get back in the saddle next Spring and I'm curious what tips people can provide for overcoming the fear of riding - especially after a 'dumb twist of fate' injury.

I feel as if I had mangled myself while *doing something risky* it would be easier to get back to riding and just slowly creep up on scary stuff. But I got hurt during just totally normal simple 'safe' riding and just the thought of getting back on a bike is already terrifying to me - since suddenly every single patch of dirt seems like it could throw me again.

It's still a long ways off, but now that I'm definitely on the road to being able to get out there again, I want to start trying to think my way towards riding.

Any tips?

Don't worry about it right now.

It's funny.. I thought I'd be really timid after my off, and not so much.

You won't know how you'll react until you get there. So, get there first.

Force yourself to stay with in the limits early on in the recovery. If you have a favorite trail that you love to rip down, or set Strava times on, stop halfway down, wait and continue on.. don't get sucked into going too fast too soon..

The Recovery Thread - What do you do?

I had to recover from a brain tumor operation 2 years ago. Tumor (not malignant, fortunately) in right frontal lobe. Left side of body messed up, but not paralyzed. Regained fitness indoor training, road biking with wife and her friends. One step at a time.

Balance still iffy. I can ski OK, but my mtb skills are diminished. Talk about a confidence killer. I went from riding at the front of my pack to DFL just like that.

My advice is pure common sense. Ease into it. Don't ride with the crew right away. Do a lot of solo rides on baby butt smooth singletrack; even road riding. Regain fitness, balance and feel. Slowly ease back into harder, more technical terrain. You will get your mojo back; give it time. The last step is to hook up with the crew again. Don't be afraid to lag at the rear. Follow the guy in front of you. The crew will take you back to where you left off, doing the stuff you used to do. Unless you are physically messed up, you'll get there. Since I have permanent damage, I have to accept a "new normal" and forget about the old mojo. So I do a lot more solo than before, and a lot less with the crew. They just depress me. As my wife says, "you CAN ride a bike", stop whining. Appreciate the alternatives that did not happen: death, paralysis, severe brain damage. Always look at the bright sidehttp://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiLNN1NhQ

Old enough to know better. And old enough not to care. Best age to be.